The Killthrax tour at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA 04/23/2017

The KillthraxTour, featuring the legendary thrash metal band Anthrax, the metalcore juggernauts Killswitch Engage, metalcore masters The Devil Wears Prada, and the colorful metallic hardcore band Code Orange, stopped by the world famous Fillmore auditorium in San Francisco, CA on April 23, 2017. The tour kicked off on March 29th in Montclair, NJ at the Wellmont Theatre and is wrapping up next week on May 7th in Boston, MA at The House of Blues. If you can catch the next few shows, I highly recommend it. The San Francisco show was sold out and there were a lot of metal heads there early to see this amazing lineup.

There was a decent amount of people in the theater, getting merchandise, grabbing a beer, or staring at all the posters on the wall from past concerts. There was a good amount of people that arrived early for Code Orange. Good thing they did because they were in for a treat…

Code Orange roared through their set with high energy that never settled and transferred throughout the audience. Playing songs from their latest release Forever, and their debut album I Am King, they hammer out these songs with passion and heart. Reba Meyers is mesmerizing with the guitar while her voice beautifully growls and screams at the audience as they are stunned in awe with smiles on their face. Bassist Joe Goldman‘s explosive pacing with roundhouse kicks gets you moving back and forth with him throughout the set. Dominic Landline, who recently joined the band this year, plays guitar, synthesizer, and lends his soothing voice for backing vocals, does not stop or slow down. Guitarist Eric Balderose paints the sounds perfectly with his bandmates he’s been with since the beginning in 2008. Jamie Morgan rounds out this beast of a band on the drums and singing, pulling double duty. Code Orange has been touring for their latest release and will be playing some festivals this summer, be sure to check them out!

Throughout Code Orange‘s set, more and more people were showing up. The Devil Wears Prada, was up next and The Fillmore was getting filled up to the max. The lights go down and The Devil Wears Prada takes the stage…

Forming in 2005 from Dayton, OH, the three original members, Jeremy Depoystner, Mike Hranica, and Andy Trick, have a couple friends helping out round out the metal band for touring. Filling in on drums at the moment is Giuseppe Capolupo, and on the keyboard/synthesizers is Johnathan Gering. They assault the crowd with the heavy riffs, beating drums, and growling vocals through their six album catalog with focused energy and brilliant teamwork. The Devil Wears Prada sets the tone just right for people to enjoy themselves and delivers hit after hit of pure heavy metal. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday evening. The band and ex-drummer parted ways last year mutually and have nothing but respect for each other. The Devil Wears Prada heads overseas this summer for their EU/UK Summer Tour from June 6th to July 5th.

By now The Fillmore seems to be overpacked. Fans are here to see the first headliner of the night for this Killthrax Tour, no other than Killswitch Engage.

Starting off their set with the powerful “Hate By Design”, off their latest release Incarnate, they get the crowd even more rowdy by their mere presence and fun energy. Bassist Mike D’Antonio not letting us down by raising his bass as high as he can while he’s shredding. The rhythm and force of the drums manned by Justin Foley sends shock waves through the mosh-pitting crowd as the guitars from Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel crunch their ear drums. As soon as vocalist Jesse Leach walks out the crowd goes nuts and sings every part of the song. They play songs going back to their debut album Killswitch Engage (2000), and at least one song from each of their other albums excluding their other self-titled album released in 2009. A great set from a great band, and to cap it off, they play their cover of “Holy Diver” with none other than Joey Belladonna from the nights headliners Anthrax. That was definitely the highlight of the set with Joey taking control of the vocals for the classic rock hit. Well done.

Even if it wasn’t possible, more people showed up to catch the thrash metal legends Anthrax at the end of the night, the second half of the Killthrax Tour and the headliners of the night.

What other way to end a Sunday night in San Francisco other than a thrash metal concert is there? I’m sure there are ways, but nothing compares to this. The mighty Anthrax took the stage after Iron Maiden‘s song “The Number Of The Beast” filled the darkened theater with a song everyone sang along with. Anthrax walks on stage and the crowd goes wild. Literally. They open with the title track and first lick off the album Among The Living with full metal force that filled The Fillmore auditorium with thrash! Without hesitation, they go right into “Caught In A Mosh” off the same album and the energy just builds. “Madhouse” from the album Spreading The Disease was shredded next, followed by a hit from their 2011 release Worship Music “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t”. They grace us with a few songs off their latest release For All Kings and and a Trust cover of “Antisocial”.

Nothing but great energy from all four of these bands on the Killthrax Tour this year. There’s a few more shows so catch them while you can. I know we’ll see all these bands in the future because of the huge following and passion the fans have. Be sure to check out all the latest releases from these bands:

Killswitch Engage‘s setlist: Hate By Design, Temple From The Within, My Last Serenade, A Bid Farewell, The New Awakening, Alone I Stand, To The Sons Of Man, The End Of Heartache, Embrace The Journey…Upraised, Fixation On The Darkness, Rose Of Sharyn, This Is Absolution, Beyond The Flames, Strength Of The Mind, My Curse, In Due Time, Holy Diver (Dio cover).

Anthrax‘s setlist: Among The Living, Caught In A Mosh, Madhouse, Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t, I Am The Law, Breathing Lightning, Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.), Evil Twin, March Of The S.O.D. (Stormtroopers Of Death Cover), Blood Eagle Wings, Antisocial (Trust cover), Indians.